A Trip Down Memory Lane
by soraos21
Summary: Waking up cold and alone, Jess has no idea of what to do... until a helping hand comes from the shadows. Contains language, gore, and some sexual references and interaction.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fan fiction, flames will be deleted. None of the characters from the games will make a live appearance, although they may be referenced to at various points in the story. I own nothing except my original characters. All plot references(concerning Bill's group AND Nick's group) are meant to drive the story further or break the ice between my OCs. Also, any references to CEDA and/or the Green Flu are meant to keep the story going, and to prevent confusion. Credit goes where it's due, and I thank all those who've posted Witch+Hunter stories before.

_Thoughts_

"Dialogue"

All I could feel was pain. My whole body seemed aflame. I hoped, wished, begged, PRAYED that it would end. And eventually it did... to an extent. The pain was overshadowed with a depth of sorrow that can only be grazed by losing everything you have. The depth of sadness that makes you want to do nothing but sit there and cry until there's nothing left, and then you cry some more. Grief that can never be sated through tears, cursing, and incoherent screams of emotional pain. I don't know how long I was there, or where I was, but I knew something was wrong. My hands felt... heavier... and a cold breeze tickled my body, making me shiver. I looked around and saw a room, lights on and the door was open. Deciding to leave my current spot on the floor, I placed my hands on the ground... and froze with shock and fear. My once beautiful hands were now elongated and, to my amazement, left claw marks in the stone when I attemted to ball them up. Hoping that nothing else had changed, I slowly stood up and shuffled to the room, closing the door behind me.

HOURS LATER

_I smell... salt... sugar... blood... and... cooked meat?_

Carl was scavenging around,looking for survivors in this soon-to-be slush-covered city and he was looking for someone to talk to that wasn't fat, stupid, coughing, laughing, hacking, or otherwise ignoring him. Basically, there wasn't anyone to talk to in this "forsaken" land. His friend, Boomer, was too busy thinking of food to actually talk with. Tank and his buddy Charger were arm-wrestling, while Smoker and Spitter... well, what they did together in their spare time was just too gruesome and utterly WRONG to even think about, let alone see. Jockey was off having the time of his life, hopping onto random Commons and steering them into various traps or just to piss them off. And the only other Hunter Carl had met was off in another state, probably having a grand old time.

So Carl was stuck with jumping from rooftop to rooftop, bored out of his mind, when he smelled something. To him, it smelled like a pleasant combination between salt, sugar, and iron, and he was immediately intrigued. Following the scent, he came upon an old firestation, long abandoned due to the Green Flu. As he got closer to the source of the smell, he heard the distinct sound of flesh on flesh, and heard someone sniffle. Eventually, he came to a red, iron-clad door with a very small peephole he could see through. He could tell several things from what he saw through that tiny hole. One, someone was inside. Two, that same someone had a cold or had been crying recently. Three, they were cooking... a steak? Deciding to press his luck, he gently rapped his knuckles on the door.

Gasping at an unexpected knock, Jess turned her attention from the steak she was cooking to the door at her right. She couldn't see outside the peephole, but she knew someone was there. Carefully, she reached for the handle(which, thankfully, wasn't the traditional knob like you'd expect) and quietly asked, "Who's there? And why are you here?"

Not expecting someone to actually answer his knock, he searched through his pack and found a bottle of water. Drinking about half of it soothed his throat enough that he could speak.

"My name is Carl. I came here because I smelled something very sweet. May I come in? And, perhaps, have some of that delicious steak I smell?"

Astonished at the male's sense of smell, Jess slowly opened the door, keeping it between her and her visitor until he had entered the room completely. She saw him glance around and finally turn around. She was cold again, and began rubbing her arms, lowering her head so that their gazes didn't meet. Before she started looking at her feet though, she saw his jaw drop slightly as he turned to look at her, and gave a small smile behind her curtain of hair, hoping beyond hope that he found her pretty, or at least a very small piece of eye candy.

Entering what the survivors called a "safe house", Carl was slightly underwhelmed by how little was actually in here. A few used sleeping bags over in the corner, a table covered with guns and ammo, one lone medkit, a couch to his left, and to his right was the steak he smelled earlier, almost nearing medium rare. Slowly, he turned around, and just before the mysterious girl lowered her head, he saw the most beautiful face he had ever seen, and that included before the infection hit. Not noticing his jaw drop, he slowly slid his eyes down her slender frame, and discovered claws on her hands that were at least three times as long as his. He closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply, smelling that wonderful scent that was salty sweet emanating from the girl before him. Other scents were hiding under that wonderful aroma, ones he had recognized before, smelled them coming from his teammates. One he recognized as joy, another fear, worry, sadness, and one other he couldn't place, but it smelled... like... a combination of joy, fear, and indecision, mixed in with a couple other scents that were foreign to him. He didn't know what it was, but he knew he had smelled it from somewhere else, but he pushed it from his mind for the time being, returning his attention to the girl before him.

He looked around and spotted a blanket nearby. He grabbed it and slung it over the girl's shoulders, saying, "I hope you don't mind me asking this, but what's your name?" He then closed the door, seeing that it was still open and letting in a draft.

She didn't know him. She had just met him, and he was treating her as if she were a dear friend. Timidly she said, "J... Jess. My name is Jess." She felt the blanket go over her shoulders, and she carefully grabbed it, attempting to wrap it around herself. She went over to the steak, which was, surprisingly, quite a large slab, and was actually the smallest in the little icebox she had found in a room about three doors down. She looked around for plates, and, not seeing any, sighed and decided to cut it on the hotplate with her claws. She cut a good portion of it off for herself, and offered the rest to her visitor, which he took happily. Almost immediately, he bit down into it and tore off a chunk that looked too big to fit in his mouth, the steak juices dripping onto the floor and down his chin.

"Careful, you might choke on it," Jess said. The boy just looked at her, put his hand up to his mouth, and smiled.

_Little habits die hard, but it's good anyway._ Spitting the somewhat chewed mouthful of meat into his hand, he said, "How on earth did you find a steak? I thought all the meat had went rotten weeks ago." The girl known as Jess shrugged and said, "I found it about three doors down from here, in the icebox inside a deli. Believe it or not, this steak was the smallest one I could find."

"Huh. I guess they must've flavored the steaks and then stored 'em."

"Nope. I found the spices I needed next to the deli. What luck, huh?" And she giggled slightly at the oddity of there being extra spices and good, preserved meat.

**30 Minutes Later...**

Satisfied with the large portion of steak that had been given to him, he looked over at Jess and said, "Thanks. It's been a long time since I've had decent meat, let alone a wonderfully cooked steak. I hope you don't mind me asking, but would you like to come with me? I'm certain my friends would like to meet you, and I'm betting they'd love to have someone who can actually cook. Especially Boomer. He'd like you right off the bat." Laughing lightly he looked into her eyes, waiting patiently for a response. After a few minutes, she agreed to come along. Smiling, Carl looked around and grabbed a nearby coat, sliding it onto Jess and helping her into the sleeves, then opened the door, motioning for her to piggyback. "Hold on tight, this could get bumpy. And please keep your head down. Wind resistance can make the trip longer than need be."

Hopping onto his back, Jess held tight and closed her eyes, hearing the wind rush past her ears every time he jumped. Moving her head so that her face wouldn't be chilled as much, she got a very good whiff of him. To her, he smelled faintly of chocolate, mixed with some peanuts and a remnant of the steak they had shared earlier. She smiled and held tighter, feeling warm for the first time since she had woken up in that abandoned fire station.

Eventually, Carl stopped jumping and started to stand, realizing at the last second that Jess had fallen asleep during their journey. Smiling to himself, he gently moved her around so that he was carrying her as if she were a bride. Using his foot, he knocked on the front door of his residence, and was greeted by, to his surprise, Smoker. Thanking him for opening the door, Carl slowly went up to the last unoccupied room in the building, and gently laid Jess down on the bed. He went over to the closet down the hall, pulled out a decently thick blanket, and went back to Jess's new room and laid it on her, careful not to wake her. He went downstairs and grabbed a few logs and a couple matches, then went back upstairs and laid them in the small fireplace in her room, lighting them and watching them catch. On his way out, he made sure the windows were closed and that there were no holes in the wall, then, giving one last look at Jess, he slowly shut the door and let her sleep.

**Author's Note: **And that's chapter one. I plan on getting the rest up ASAP, so chillax. Intros coming soon, along with a possible new fear for our little witch: Smoker/Spitter! And that's just them making out, btw. You don't want to know what happens when they're alone... in the dark... to a song, thus ruining that song for everyone else within earshot. What's worse is that both of them scream... *shudder* Anyway, chapter 2 inc. soon!


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **Like I said, constructive criticism=good, flames=bad, only thing I own are my OC's, all copyrighted characters belong to Valve, no survivors(Nick, Ellis, Coach, Ro, Zoey, Francis, Bill, and Louis) will make a live appearance, though they may be mentioned. Same applies to CEDA and the Green Flu(names only), character designs(basic SI skeletons(what they look like)) and anything else I forgot to mention that is in the game that I didn't mention. That covers legal shtuff, now on to the story!

Also, *(insert word(s) here)* = action, such as burping, snoring, farting, etc.

**Earlier, in one of the rooms on the 8th floor...**

Ted carefully slid out of bed, trying not to wake Rhea from her post-sex snooze. After putting on a pair of pants, he grabbed his smokes, cleaned and rerolled his tongue, and quietly exited the room, slowly closing the door behind him. Once the door was shut, he casually walked over to one of the many windows nearby and deftly lit a smoke, turning half of it to ash in one puff, slowly releasing the smoke from his now extraordinarily-sized lungs, turning the massive cough lurking in his throat into a sigh of relief. Looking down, he saw his friend Carl hopping from roof to roof with something on his back. Finishing his cigarette, Ted wrapped his tongue around the railing and lowered himself seven floors before recoiling his tongue in his gut. Casually walking up to the door, he waited for the knock he knew would come. He didn't have to wait long, because his friend was already there by the time he'd reached the door.

When he opened it, his one good eye immediately drifted to the item in Carl's arms... and his tongue damn near fell out. Usually, Carl brought home some piece of technology from before the infection, or food and clothes for them to use. But him bringing home a girl was the last thing Ted ever expected him to do. To be honest, Ted expected Carl to bring one of the Commons up to his room, use it as needed, then throw it out the window, or walk it out the door, which would be far more acceptable than what Theo did. But no, Carl brought home a beautiful young girl with ash blond hair, barely any flesh to her slender frame, and claws the length of knives. Looking up at his friend, he saw the look he gave the girl, and decided against questioning him... for now. When Carl went upstairs, Ted closed the door, calmly walked over to the couch, sat down, and said, "Frank... I think Carl has a girlfriend now."

"Now what makes-*burp* 'Scuse me. What makes you think that?"

"The fact that he just took her upstairs, carrying her as if she were a bride. Looked like she was sleeping, and quite happily, too."

"Well that's good news. At least-*burp* 'Scuse me. Least now Rhea has someone to talk to about... whatever it is girls talk about. I'm gonna go check on Theo, Chuck, and Bob."

"Bob left earlier this morning. Said something about riding. He's probably off annoying the Commons or just having fun."

"*buuuuuuurrrp* DAMN that was big. 'Scuse me. Let me know when he gets back, cause I need his help with something."

"What'cha need him for? Holiday decorations? Cooking dinner? Putting some rancid shit in a sack, lighting it on fire near Theo and running while he stomps it out?"

"That last one was NOT me! How many times do I have to tell you guys? Anyway, I need Bob for the first two and something special. Now... um... do whatever, I have work to- *fart* 'Scuse me. I have work to do. Catch you later man."

"Good GOD man, what the fuck have you been eating? Put a fuckin' cork in it, light a match, open a window, do something! Ugh, smells like rancid cheesewurst wrapped in rotten guacamole that's been left to sit in the sun for three days. *cough* *cough* I swear, if your ass was any mor rotten, all that would show would be your hip bones."

"Believe me, Ted. What you smell now isn't anywhere near as bad, or as horrifying, as what I, and everyone else in this building, hear at night." And with that, Frank left the room, leaving Ted to wallow in the realization that his late night romps aren't as quiet as he thought, and because Frank knew his farts were, indeed, quite nasty.

**AN: **And that's chapter two. For those of you confused by the names, here's a list:

Bob:Jockey, Theo:Tank, Ted:Smoker, Frank:Boomer, Chuck:Charger, Rhea:Spitter.

And the Commons are just that... the Common Infected. And, for those of you wondering, what Theo does to the Commons when he feels the need is gonna come up soon! Don't worry, Jess will meet everyone soon enough. Chapter three coming soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** I'm going to assume y'all have read chapters 1 and 2 already, so I HOPE I no longer have to put up the copyright this/that shtick that can get someone way up turd creek w/o a paddle. Also, I'm taking a few liberties with the geography of the town, so St. Helens readers, expect some fallacies here and there. So, let's see if our sleepy little Witch is awake yet, shall we?

**AN2: Bob's lips have been chewed off, so he can't pronounce certain words correctly. What's typed is the closest consonant to the one he needs("d" replaces "b", "h" replaces "f", "n" replaces "m", "r" replaces "v", and "t" will replace "p". Upon occassion, "s" will replace "f" in words like off. "lihe"=life, dite=bite, lits=lips, os=off, etc.)**

Two hours later...

Jess woke up slowly, coming out of a wonderful dream reluctantly. Slowly opening her eyes, she gazed into the slowly dying fire across the room from her. Hearing slightly muffled movement below her, Jess slowly got out of her bed and looked around the room. It was sparsely furnished, with a dresser, mirror, the bed she had just gotten up from and a small stool in the corner. She looked outside and saw a river running nearby. Rummaging through the dresser, she found a pair of jeans, a faded t-shirt, a pair of men's underwear, two pair socks and a belt. She managed to get her old top off and put the shirt on before she had to ask for help. She opened the door and stuck her head out, looking left and right for someone to help her get dressed.

_I swear, Ted just doesn't tire. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but still..._ Rhea, as dressed as she could get, was walking down the stairs when she noticed a girl with ash blond hair sticking her head out into the hallway. Rhea approached her, trying not to shake herself up as she came down the stairs. What most people don't realize about Spitters is that they're like soda... shake them up enough, and everyone gets sprayed. And, in her case, it can be lethal.

"Can I help you, dear?"

"Um... Yes. You see, my hands aren't working right... Could you help me dress, please?"

"Of course, dear. Let's get you dressed and ready. Frank usually has started cooking dinner right about now, so we'd better hurry."

Rhea walked in to the room, and immediately groaned at the clothes available to the pale girl. Faded jeans, old socks, and a belt that had seen better days.

"My dear, we have to go shopping some time. These just will not do. But, I guess they'll have to do for now. Oh, silly me. What's your name, deary? I'm Rhea."

"Oh. Um... My name's Jess. It's nice to meet you, Rhea. Um... where are we?" She sat down on the bed so that Rhea could help her dress more easily.

"We, my dear, are in Saint Helens, Oregon. The building we currently occupy sits near the banks of the Columbia River, a natural divider between Oregon and Washington. If I may prod so, who brought you here? And where did he find you?"

"Um... I think he said his name was Carl. He found me in an old abandoned fire station. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason. Just curiosity." _Has that boy ever touched a girl, even if all he did was shake her hand? I'll worry later. Besides, dinner'll be ready soon, and I'm a little hungry for something other than my man._

After putting the pants on, it was clear to both of them that the belt was unnecessary, due to the pants being three sizes smaller than the label said they were. Feeling less exposed, Jess and Rhea walked out, chatting lightly all the way down the stairs.

**Meanwhile, in the kitchen...**

"Ugh, I hate canned hoods, Hrank. You know this."

"Well, you have one of-*burp* 'Scuse me. One of two options: Starve or bring us a corpse to cook and eat. Or you could eat yourself. It's not like you're gonna use that part anytime soon, Bob. Now hop on my back, I need you to pin this up above the door frame." He then handed Bob a sheet and some thumbtacks.

"Why do I have to do this? Couldn't you get Ted to helt you? And didn't Carl scarenge a dunch of tools hron the adandoned Wal-Nart down Old Tortland Road?"

"Ted would be helping me, but he's upstairs, so I had to get you to help. Besides, you're the lightest of us, excluding Carl, and you have the second-best jump. And yes, he did scavenge a bunch of tools and a mess of other things, but I have no idea where he put them."

"What are we doing this hor, anyway? The nearest dirthday is Carl's, and that night as well de Christnas Day."

"Carl brought home a girlfriend. Not a body... a girlfriend. Least that's what Ted said. We're putting this up for her so she'll feel welcome."

"Well ain't that a kick in the teeth," said Chuck, who had just walked in, Theo following close behind. "When we gonna meet her? It's about damn time we saw a female face that wasn't Rhea's. She's cool and all, but she's a regular now, and I, for one, can't wait to meet the new girl."

**Upstairs, in his own room... **

For some reason, the memories just wouldn't stop. All the things he'd done as a mindless animal in the first few weeks of the infection came back to him in his mind's eye. Thankfully, he didn't have to worry about doing what he was doing now in front of his friends. And what he was doing now would be easily recognized by most survivors, if there were any left to see this. He was on his knees, hood over his face, head in his hands, sobbing quietly, like he had done every day since the animal within had weakened enough for him to regain control. Now that he was master again, the beast showed him what damage it had done while in control. And all he could do was weep and curse the beast for it's actions, curse himself for losing control in the first place. What materials he had scavenged from his previous life were here, in his room, just waiting to be fed their electrical diet, waiting to be used again. But, until then, all he had to entertain him was a book of drawing paper and some drawing utensils, which he used when he could. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he looked at the only working piece of machinery in the room: his watch.

Realizing that, at this moment, Jess would most likely be awake and that Frank would be busy on the first floor, Carl licked up what fluids had missed his sleeve, shivering as his blood and tears were reintroduced to his body. Grabbing a chocolate bar from the stack near his door, he exited his room and, while descending, ate it. After he had finished it, he put the wrapper in his pocket and fell downward, stopping every floor to prevent too much acceleration. Once he had reached the first floor, he walked over to the dining room.

_Where is Carl? He should be here by now. I wonder what the banner above the door is for?_

No sooner had Theo finished this train of thought, than Carl walked into his periferal vision. Knowing that Carl had had one of his fits recently, Theo waited until he had passed out of Carl's line of sight, then picked him up and placed him on his massive shoulders. He lumbered over to the door frame and signalled for a brush and some paint. Chuck, knowing what he wanted, went to the closet down the hall and grabbed what Theo had asked for. Passing the brush up to Carl, Chuck shook the can of paint as vigorously as he could, then carefully pried the lid off and passed the can up to his friend.

Standing on Theo's shoulders, Carl set to work immediately, painting the words "Welcome, Jess" as neatly as he could.

"So... her name's Jess, huh? I know she ain't one of the Commons, so what is she?" Ted arrived from the living room, dressed only in his pants with a cigarette in hand. He stared questioningly at the back of Carl's head, patiently waiting for a response.

"I don't know Ted. All I know is that she's beautiful, kind, and can cook a damn tasty steak."

Jess had walked in right as Carl began to talk, and if she could've blushed, her face would've turned a nice cherry red at his words. Instead she hung her head and smiled bashfully behind her small curtain of hair, softly giggling to herself.

"And I see that she's awake. Everyone, please turn around and say hi to Jess. Jess, these are my friends. Please, make yourself at home. I think Frank was just about to start making dinner. Would you like to help him? Besides you, he's the only one with any cooking experience."

"Dinner? I'd love to help! Where's the kitchen, and what do we have?"

"Over here, Jess. I was just-*burp* 'Scuse me. Just about to throw something together for dinner." And with that, Jess followed Frank into the kitchen, and Carl beamed with delight.

**Several minutes later...**

They were all seated around the table, enjoying the delicious food that Jess had helped make, and conversing lightly between bites.

"Mmm, delicious. Jess, you absolutely MUST-*buurp* 'Scuse me. Must teach me how you did this. I usually have to bend over backwards to get anywhere near half this amount of flavor."

"I'll do my best, Frank. So, who are all of you? I didn't get a chance to hear your names earlier, and my curiosity is peaking."

"Well," said Chuck, "My name's Chuck. During the first month that the infection was active, any Immunes that saw me labeled me as a "Charger", due to me charging at them. This muscular mass to my left is Theo. Before the infection, he was an English teacher at the local highschool. When the infection first hit the town, he was one of the first to turn. During class, one of the students had pushed his patience a little too far, and was subsequently punched in the face. Normally, this would just hurt, and Theo'd get sued. But, the infection had managed to get a firm grip in his body, and when he lost his temper, the virus took over. In the few short seconds before the punch was thrown, his muscles started to grow and become more powerful. By the time the punch connected, his arm was half the size it is now. So, naturally, when the punch connected, the poor kid died, due to his face being punched so hard that the back of his face touched the spinal column. After that, Theo used the last of his control to force himself into the woods, where he stayed for the first three days of hysteria. Any Immunes that saw him after those three days labeled him as a "Tank", due to his size and strength."

Jess looked closely at Theo, then asked, "What happened to his jaw? Did it fall off?"

"No. His neck muscles enveloped it. If one were to look closely, you'd probably see bits of his teeth in a semicircle."

Jess looked at Theo with worry. "How do you eat?"

Theo looked up at her, held up a finger, took a piece of food off his plate and tilted his head up. Everyone looked over, curious as to how their friend ate. Where his tongue started was basically a pair of beaks. The outer pair cut and minced his food, while the inner pair ground it up. He closed both of them and swallowed his food, then looked down and did his best to smile at his friends.

"Adsolutely hascinating, Theo. And here I thought you just slallowed your hood whole. Anyway, ny nane's Dod, and the Innunes called ne a Jockey. Dehore all this, I was dasically Stehen Hawking, ninus the drains. I was confined to a heelchair for nost of ny lihe. The inhection restored ny leg nuscles, and I could alk again. This was a short-lived joy, decause the dann Green Hlu gave ne nania, and nade ne dite ny lits os."

"Which means that before the shit hit the fan, he was a cripple. The infection restored his legs and made him chew through his lips, giving him a nasty case of perma-grin and a speech impediment, kinda like Scooby Doo, only creepier. He was called a Jockey because he had a habit of jumping onto someone's back and riding them like a horse, usually into danger or away from help," said Frank

"I'm sorry to hear that, Bob. If you don't mind me asking, how did you become a cripple in the first place?"

"I landed a little too hard at a skating rink one day and couldn't stand again around three years ago."

"I'm sorry that happened, Bob. So what about you... um..."

"Name's Ted. The Immunes called me a "Smoker", due to these little sacs on my face and arm. Every time I got knocked out, one of them would pop, releasing this huge cloud of thick, green smoke. That, and the fact that I have a three-pack-a-day cough. During the first few weeks, my "job" was to grab the Immunes with my tongue and drag them away, kinda like this." With that, he shot his tongue out and wrapped it around an old wooden bar that he used for target practice and pulled it towards him. When it was within arm's reach, he released it and threw it back into it's little corner. "Bad thing is, I'm easily stunned and incapacitated, and my tongue is easily cut. Good news is, my tongue regenerates rather quickly, and I'm able to use my tongue to get to places I'd normally have trouble accessing. The only other one who's easily incapacitated is Frank, and for good reason."

"Why's that?"

"I'm basically a walking bomb, Jess. The infection- *burp* 'Scuse me. The infection made me mass-produce huge amounts of bile and pheromones. As a result, my body couldn't hold itself together in some places, so almost all of my internal organs were scrapped and made into a sort of balloon. Every now and then I have to pass gas, burp, or puke to relieve the internal pressure. The reason I'm easily incapa- *buurp* 'Scuse me. Incapacitated is because the majority of my body literally is a very fleshy balloon. Shoot a single bullet into me, and I pop, spraying everything nearby with bile and knocking things off their feet for a few short seconds. Thankfully, I'm able to regenerate back into this walking balloon in a few short moments. Be glad you aren't me. I've heard rumors that there are females just like me. Being a fat GUY is hell enough, being a fat GIRL... I don't want to think about it."

"What's the bile do?"

"It calls all nearby Commons to an area. We don't know what's in it, but it makes them go mad, and that's all we need to know."

"Okay. What's a Common?"

"If you take a look out the window, deary, you'll see at least one Common. The Immunes called them Commons, and that's pretty much what they are. They're normal people turned into a mindless hive. Every morning, however, they sing."

"They can sing?"

"If you can call what they do singing," said Carl. "Every morning, without fail, they welcome the rising sun in what we have come to call Hell's Chorus. Have you ever read the Lestat series by Anne Rice?" Jess pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Basically, what they do is similar to Hell's Bells, telling us that morning has come, and that it's time to wake from what sleep we can get. For us, it's a mind screw that we can't avoid. Their voice, both one and many, resounds, damn near driving us out of control and almost giving the beast within command, until we stand up and reject them. I guess you could say it's a roll call, of sorts."

They finished eating in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Afterwards, Carl pulled Theo and Chuck aside and said, "I'm going to need your help tomorrow. Can you meet me down here after the Chorus?" When they both said yes, Carl smiled and jumped up to his room, grabbed a favorite book, and went back down to the third floor.

Jess heard a knock at the door, just as she had shimmied out of her "new" shirt. Hoping it was Rhea, she opened the door just enough to poke her head out, and was greeted with the sight of... a hardcover book? She reached out with her left hand, wrapping her right across her chest.

"I hope you like it. Please try not to damage it... I've had it for quite a while, and would like to keep it in readable condition for as long as possible."

"Thanks, Carl." She looked at the title and almost squealed with joy. "Eyes of the Dragon? I have no idea how you knew, but this is my favorite book! Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" She gently put the book down and pulled Carl into a one-armed hug. Letting go, she smiled at him, said goodnight, and went over to her bed, book in hand. Soon, she fell asleep, with the book laying closed upon the dresser, a bookmark sitting about one fourth of the way through.

**AN:** And here we leave our little witch to rest. Everyone else went to bed, as well, and don't even THINK about asking what Ted and Rhea are doing right now, it's just too wrong. And yes, I have read the Lestat series(Anne Rice) and Eyes of the Dragon(Stephen King). Now I hope you'll remember the Chorus, 'cause it MIGHT have a part to play in the next chapter. The suspense is thick and your patience... maybe not as thick. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this very long(compared to the first two) chapter, and I hope you'll stick around for the rest! Ch. 4 coming soon, so grab your popcorn, soda ,and candy, and enjoy the story. Oh, and Immunes=Survivors, btw.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **Alright folks, y'all ready for this? Day 2, sunrise. I'm gonna guess that some of you are asking yourselves, "Where's the smut?" Just calm down, it's coming(see what I did there? XD). But seriously, **this chapter contains material not suited for 15 and under, parental guidance blah blah blah, reader discretion is adviced, etc.** Point is, if you don't like adult content, stop here or muscle through, 'cause it's gonna be a while before Ch. 5 is up.  
Oh, and don't forget about the tech Carl's scavenged. It's VERY important. ;) And, for understandable purposes, when Theo speaks, he's using ASL(American Sign Language) and his "words" will be quotated as if was actually vocalizing.

Carl woke from his slumber, three hours before sunrise, and couldn't go back to sleep. His insomnia had gotten worse since he'd regained control of his body. Now he was getting a maximum of two hours of actual sleep, if he slept at all. For the past three days, he'd been going on one cat nap every 18 hours, and had spent the time awake sneaking in electronics, movies, and games. He'd stashed almost all of it on the first four floors. The rest of them went up to his room. Not because he was being a selfish ass, but because they were his from before the infection. In fact, he'd transferred almost all of his old room to this building. The entire top floor was his, and he intended to use every room. The room he was in right now is his bedroom, and next door is his gaming collection, TV and consoles included. Next to that was his computer room, and the second-to-last room was his personal library. The only room not currently being used was at the end, and Carl had set it aside as an elevator stop of sorts, so his friends could come up if they wanted to.  
While he was thinking of a way to make it so Theo could come up, the sun had started to rise. He didn't notice until the first chords of Hell's Chorus echoed in his mind. Just before he could shrug it off, a piercing shriek echoed up from below.  
_Jess. She must have regained control just before I found her. If any deity can hear me, give her the strength to pull through this. Don't let her succumb to the song._ Grabbing three rolls of duct tape, rags, a bottle of chloroform, and four lengths of rope, he threw it all into his backpack and left his room. Jumping down from floor to floor, Carl yelled, "Wake up! Wake up! We have a Code Black, so wake the fuck up and get to the third floor NOW!"

Ted and Rhea sat up in bed, awakened by the first notes of Hell's Chorus. Their name for that accursed mental din fit almost too nicely. Just thinking about it made Ted shiver in repulsion, but having to hear it every day... One could say it's a fate worse than death. Just as Ted and Rhea looked at each other, they heard an unearthly shriek from below, soon followed by Carl's words.

"Code Black? Oh no, not the new girl," said Ted. He scrambled out of the bed, hurrying to get at least his pants on.

"I hope she'll make it through. I was just beginning to like her, and I'm fairly certain Carl would be upset if we lost her to the Horde."

"Either way, we need to be careful. We still don't know what her abilities are, and those claws look like they can slice through steel with little effort." Buckling his belt, Ted grabbed his smokes and lit one, tossing Rhea her clothes, then ran out the door and, when Rhea was ready, lowered her as gently as possible to the third floor.

Everyone woke to Hell's Chorus, heard Jess's shriek, and Carl's call to action. Naturally, Carl was the first to her door. On his way down, he heard someone crying, and as he neared Jess's room, it grew louder. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't place why. The familiarity didn't bother him, but how similar it was to his own fits while he was in solitude. Landing hard at Jess's door, Carl nearly collapsed as the memories of his past deeds almost flooded him, causing him to curl up, hands clenched to his head, tears ready to flow. He forced the memories back and stood up just as Theo came up behind him. Carl flashed a small smile at his gargantuan friend as Theo began signing away.

"You okay, Carl?"

"I've been better. I'm glad you taught us sign language, or otherwise several conversations would be very tricky. Any guess as to what she's capable of?"

"I remember several of my students talking about something similar in appearance to Jess. I think they called it a "Witch". Rumor has it that they have a nasty habit of luring clueless people to them, and when they're close enough the "Witch" would go into a frenzy and rip the unfortunate sucker to shreds."

Carl swallowed the lump in his throat and hesitantly asked, "What was the lure?"

"If what I heard is truth, then a Witch's lure is crying."

"Like how Jess is crying right now?"

"Quite possibly."

By now everyone had arrived and had caught the description that Theo had given. They all stood nervously outside the door to Jess's room, awaiting instructions. Carl passed the duct tape to Bob, the rope to Ted and the rags and chloroform to Frank.

"Alright, listen up. Bob, when I pounce her, I need you to tape her claws together and the same for her ankles. Ted, use the rope and your tongue to pull us out should the shit hit the fan. Frank and everyone else, tie those rags around your mouths. If and/or when Ted pulls us out, I need you to throw the bottle in and shut the door. It should shatter and fill the room with the fumes. Just in case it doesn't, pull the cork out. Everyone ready?"

Once everyone had the rags situated, Carl slowly opened the door to Jess's room and got ready to pounce. As soon as Jess was visible, he jumped her and pinned her down, spreading her arms and exposing her bare torso. He only got a glimpse, but what he had seen made him blush in the shadows of his hood. He concentrated on her face, trying to not picture her fully nude. As Bob neared, Jess growled and looked directly at him beginning to writhe and almost breaking free of Carl's grasp. Bob backed away, and Jess calmed down. Still looking at her face, Carl told Bob to leave and slowly shut the door, growling at him when he didn't move immediately. Once the door was shut, Jess looked into Carl's eyes and the red haze in hers lightened visibly. She began purring, and Carl smelled something familiar, something he'd smelled before, but couldn't remember where. After a few seconds of thought, he realized that he'd smelled it coming from the Immunes when they'd stayed in what they'd called a safe house for a length of time. Suddenly, memories from before the infection rushed his mind, flooding his thoughts with an old urge, flashes of bare skin, flowing curves, moans and screams, cries of, "Harder, faster!" In what seemed like minutes, but what was really a few seconds, he remembered every position he'd ever seen, every way to please, every moment of pleasure and wonderful pain. Lifting his hood, Carl slowly lowered his face, inching closer to Jess's, until finally their lips locked. Jess slowly closed her eyes, and he, too, did the same. Nervously, he sent his tongue into her mouth, feeling her tense slightly as it met hers, then mentally sighed when her tongue ran along his. He slowly got up, never breaking the kiss, and went over to the bed.

Laying on his back, Carl pulled Jess over him so that she was straddling him as if he were a horse. He could feel her slightly grinding against him, making his "little friend" stand at attention. He broke the kiss long enough for him to pull his hoodie off, exposing to Jess his scars and slightly toned chest. He then began to undo her jeans and his, giving himself a little more room to "breathe". He looked down at her panties and saw that they were soaked at the crotch, so much so that he could feel it through his underwear. He rolled over so that Jess was on her back and slowly kissed his way down her body, stopping only to slide her panties off, then he began to lick his way around her.

_If this is the only way to keep her from going to the Horde, then so be it._ He stopped using his tongue and started rubbing her with his left hand while he bit the nails off of two of the fingers on his right hand. When he had finished his impromptu manicure, he slowly slid in one finger, slowly swirling it around inside her. Her breath hitched, then she moaned lightly, looking at him pleadingly. Smiling gently, he slid the other finger in, enjoying her gasps of pleasure. Locking eyes with her, he used his free hand to remove his underwear, exposing his fully attentive "little friend". Seeing the look on her face, Carl smiled and removed his soaked fingers as she came. He brought them up to his mouth and licked them clean, smiling all the while. Grabbing hold of her calves, he slowly entered her, never losing eye contact. When he had fully entered her, her buried himself to the hilt. Slowly, he began thrusting, internally sighing with every little motion, reveling in Jess's moans, and finally, after all these months, gaining sanctuary from those cursed memories. After a few dozen thrusts, he felt a familiar warmth in his balls, somewhat surprised he could still be able to do this. Unable to hold back any longer, he came inside Jess as she climaxed and rolled off of her.

Soon, Jess fell asleep, allowing Carl to get back into his clothes and head to his room. As soon as he opened the door, however, he was greeted with the sight of Bob's thigh. _Oh, dear God, no, PLEASE don't hump me. Last thing I need is Bob's junk on the back of my head._

Just as Bob positioned himself so he was able to blind Carl with his hands, carl said, "Bob, stop! It's me, Carl!"

"Oh. Sorry Carl. We thought that Jess had killed you, so Ted said to ride the hirst terson that cones out."

"Well, I'm not dead, so you can get off now. And what on earth were you all doing outside the door?"

"Well," said Chuck, "we were just making sure you got out safely, is all."

Carl saw wet spots on everyone's clothes, except for Bob, who really was just a kid, too young to realize what had transpired. "Bob... could you go to your room, please? I need to talk with everyone else." Watching him run happily to his room, Carl waited until he had heard the door shut before speaking.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys? Creaming yourselves in front of a kid... All of you should be ashamed. Why didn't you make him leave?"

"We did," Rhea said. "He came back when Jess screamed, which gave us plenty of time from when he left to when you two finished. And yes, Ted and I went up a floor before we started."

"Still, you do realize that ALL of us in this building can hear you two at night, which means he could hear Jess and I, not to mention all of you guys. Besides, all of you reek of your own "juices", which are still somewhat fresh." At this everyone fidgeted nervously, shifting from one foot to the other. "Forget it. The Chorus is over and Theo, Chuck, and I have work to do. Everyone else, please go to your rooms or go outside. We'll be awhile."

"We have work to do? What are we doing?"

"Yes, Chuck, we have work to do. It's a secret, and a surprise. Let's go."

**AN:** And there you have it. Yes, everyone except Bob is an adult, and I'm sorry this chapter took so long to get going. RL is an ass upon occasion. Next up: Carl's secret idea. What is he doing? Where is he going? All this and more will be answered in upcoming chapters. Also, leave some reviews... It's nice to know that people like my stuff.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: **Yeah, remember when I said it was gonna be a while before Chapter 5 was up? Holy motherFUCK, I'm sorry I took so long. I'm sorry everyone, but I can't get myself to update this story. Every time I try, I hit a block or see an error that makes me delete an entire paragraph. I'm sorry everyone. I am going to tell you where this story was going to go, however.

Carl, Chuck, and Theo headed out to the Wal Mart a few miles away and raided it for whatever supplies were left, finding a few generators in their hunt. They hauled them back and got their apartment building running, the electronics in Carl's room finally having a power source to run on. They manage to find a stable internet connection and find that it's maintained by a group of survivors. Specifically, the ones they had attempted to eradicate while out of control of themselves.

Eventually they meet up with the survivors and help found a shelter for infected like themselves, rehabilitating any SI to help in an effort to decrease hostility in the world around them. Eventually, it's just Carl and Jess left as everyone else had either died violently or broke down because their bodies couldn't be maintained. In a last-ditch effort, the scientists working under Carl and Jess devise a serum to help rever the effects of the virus and release it into the countryside via missiles.

As their bodies revert to what they once were as humans, Jess and Carl age rapidly as if time had finally caught up with them. As they grow weaker, they hold each other and kiss one last time, smiles on their faces as they crumple to the ground and slowly wither away into nothing.

Again, I am SO SORRY for not updating earlier than this.


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